Rivera looks good and feels good
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Mar 18, 2007 
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When Mariano Rivera was shut down with a sore arm last September, it seemed to some like the beginning of the end for the greatest closer of all time.
Mariano was at his locker when the clubhouse opened to the media this morning and we chatted for about 20 minutes.
When I asked him about his arm, he smiled. “Check the stats,” he said. “Check them and come back to me.”
So I did. Counting the end of last season, the playoffs and spring training, Rivera has pitched 10 innings. He has allowed three hits with no walks and 11 strikeouts.
No walks in 11 innings? That doesn’t sound like somebody with health problems. I understand that’s a small sample, but it is somewhat revealing.
If the Yankees don’t abuse Rivera, there’s no reason he can’t pitch effectively for two, three or four more seasons. He remains in excellent condition and he’s working on pitches to add to his cut fastball.
“People forget Mo can pitch,” Jorge Posada said. “He locates the ball, he changes speeds sometimes. He’s not just throwing the ball. That’s why he’s so successful.”
UPDATE: Rivera just pitched the sixth inning. Three outs in six pitches. His line this spring is: 6 3 0 0 0 5
Question:
ARod’s contract says:
“Rodriguez may void after 2008 or 2009 unless club increases 2009-10 salary by $5M/year or $1M more than highest-paid MLB position player”
Since NO one is near his annual salary, is he due NO increase, a 1m increase, or a 5m increase. Does he cost $32m/yr in 2009-10?
Even if we get by this end-of-year Opt-out, is it up in the air again in 2009? I’m don’t think ANYONE is worth $32m/yr.
Anyone know the exact story?
when they line up the list of great yankees over the past 100 years, mo rivera is in the top five.
OldYankeeFan, I have read the same info on Cott’s Contracts and not been able to interpret it myself.
My take is that it requires a $5 million increase but what is not clear is $5 over what?
-Previous year’s salary?
-Base salary?
-Highest paid player’s salary?
The information provides more questions than answers.
Sounds like it is an annual $5 mill increase, and if that number does not bring him to the highest player he must be increased to $1 million more than the highest paid player at that time, and each year remaining in the contract. I think it is going to be broken down quite a few times this season by the press for us, so we will know a lot more as the year plays out.
When I say annual I mean each individual year gets a +5 so if it was:
10
12
11
it was would be:
10+5
12+5
11+5
I am officially just confusing myself…I will go back to watching basketball now.
I think that if A-Rod has a monster regular season and monster playoff performance the yankees will give him that extra 5 mil. If he has a monster regular season and a bad playoff, they will give him that 5 mil, and TRADE him, so that way they can get players back(ERVIN SANTANA) rather than get nothing when he ops out. If a-rod hits 35 HRS again, and sucks in the playoffs, then they won’t give him that 5 mil, and if that’s the case A-Rod probably won’t opt-out.
Why does everyone keep saying the Yankees can trade Arod when they CANT! He has a no trade people! Arod isnt going anywhere unless he Opts out and we are left with nothing. Think twice before you boo him at the stadium this year. Cause once hes gone out lineup has NO power from the right side and Left handed starter will have a huge advantage.
ARod has a no-trade clause. He will not approve a trade.
If he walks the Yankees will get nothing. This could happen after this season and each of the subsequent seasons.
This contract is likely the greatest Yankee mistake since…
Steve Trout?
Tom Hicks & the Rangers signed the contract with A-Rod that included the opt-out clause, not the Yankees.
Yes, they inherited it with the trade but it’s something Boras pulled over on them.
Meant to say…”it’s not something Boras pulled over on them”.
However if Arod truly was a man of his word he would opt out and sign a new contract with the yankees to carry him till he retires. I see that happening if he has a great year and does something in the post season.
“This contract is likely the greatest Yankee mistake since…”
how is it a mistake? for the last 3 seasons, the yankees have gotten the best 3B in the american league for a bargain price.
he will be the best 3B in the league again this season.
if he walks, he walks. they would not have still had Soriano under control anyway.
they won the trade and reaped enormous benefit from his contract.
mlb4u.com:
“he can void the deal again after the 2008 or 2009 seasons, but only if a position player in the major leagues has a higher salary than him or if he is not earning $1M more than the second highest paid position player”
it doesn’t sound like he’ll be able to opt out again in 2008 or 2009, unless something crazy happens.
If soriano had stayed Cano never get a chance.
The ARod contract WAS a mistake. I did not say getting ARod was a mistake. (It was, but that is a different story.)
But the fact is, the contract originated by Hicks and the Texas Rangers for ARod was a mistake. The Yankees adopted that contract and its covenants and conditions when they made the trade. I cannot see accepting any contract with such an opt out clause. So whoever held the responsibility in the Yankee front office for that trade did not do his or her job.
I do think that trading Soriano was a good idea. While I did like him, I was not impressed with his work ethic, his distracted defense, yet I knew we would miss some of his offense. That was an acceptable loss. Further it seemed that the trade overall was an upgrade for the Yankees.
I was wrong.
Guys: I’m not sure of the exact language but it’s an either/or. He can opt out regardless after this season.
On Mussina: Did anyone notice his Fastball was only around 86. Not a good thing in my book. He needs to be around 90-91.
The greatest closer of all time is in midseason form from day one.
soriano sealed his own departure from the yanks. not the greatest “team” guy to ever wore pinstripes.
Adam: It depends on how well Mussina can PITCH. Yes, I am concerned about his velocity,
but Jamie Moyer hasn’t cracked 90 since last century. It hasn’t affected him.
Mike: He pitched well but since Mussina relies on alot of off speed picths he needs his fastball to be a bit better to make his other pitches better.
The 2007 PECOTA for Mussina is OK. He doesn’t seem to have suffered an injury that would suggest we expect a permanent drop off in velocity. So I’m thinking that it’s still ST and he is building arm strength and probably will continue to build arm strength well into May. If anything, he’ll have a nagging injury given his age; he’ll spend some more time on the DL this year.
Mussina’s changeup is good, but his real strength comes from his command of the strike zone and his breaking stuff. His fastball has been hovering around the 90 mark for a while, and he was excellent last year. Even if he’s around 88-89 for the start of the season he’ll be fine. 1 or 2 mph isn’t as important as other pitchers when it comes to Moose.
Paul: if you think A-Rod at $16M per year (what the Yankees pay, for the best 3B in the league) is the worst contract in Yankee history, you’re just not paying attention.
Giambi (a player who I love, and a great hitter) offers much less total value for quite a lot more money.
I wonder if Mo’s longevity is at least partially the result of his not throwing a breaking pitch. A steady diet of four-seam fastballs, two seamers, and cut fastballs might make his aging curve flatter than other pitchers. I can’t think of any other reliever who doesn’t throw a slider or a curve. Can anyone help me out?
I’ll reserve judgment on Rivera’s longevity until August.
In defense of the Cash Man, the Yankees had no choice but to accept the “opt out” clause and all existing language in ARod’s Texas Ranger contract – or they would have suffered the same fate as Boston’s FO – deal voided by the BPAA. Give Cashman credit, he was certainly aware of the contract language and probably thought (like 99% of all baseball executives did at the time) that no owner would be foolish enough to ever pay another ballplayer as much as $25 Mil a year!
Contrary to Paul’s opinion, I believe the Yankee trade IS an upgrade – ARod is far superior than Soriano defensively, is a better overall hitter, and has a much greater work ethic. And Post Season performance? Check out Alfonso’s miserable post- season stats!
are there two guys named rich on this blog?
anyway, mo’s longevity was established a long time ago. peter gammons once predicted mo would last two seasons before his elbow blew up. maybe he was just wishing mo would go away.
boston’s closer situation is shaping up as the same disaster as in 2003. theo says the situation “will resolve itself from within.”
I have posted as Rich since it started.
New Rich needs to change his name. It’s confusing.
Jeff,
I have paid very close attention. Because you fail to see my reasoning and misquoted me does not suggest I have not now or ever failed to pay attention. I did not say it was the worst contract in Yankee history, but I do think adopting a contract with an opt-out clause is bad business.
Jeff, I absolutely do agree that Giambi is a terrible value as a one dimensional player. He is a serious defensive laibility as well as a heightened injury risk anytime he dons a 1B glove. To pay that much money for a sub-.300 hitter is or should be unfathomable. Unfortunately he has a no-trade clause so he could not be moved this offseason.
Latham Joe,
I agree that the trade was an upgrade in offense, somewhat, and in defense considerably. However the defense has dramatically declined and I never anticipated the baggage and ongoing circus that would accompany the player. Blame the media if you will, but it would not happen without the player’s participation.
Indeed ARod’s work ethic is terrific. He tells you about it so often that we all know about it.
Got it…. and it’s what I suspected.
————————————-
2008 season: $27 million ($3 million deferred with 3% interest)
At the end of 2008 season has the right to void seasons 2009 and 2010 and become an unrestricted free agent unless Rangers INCREASE 2009 and 2010 salaries by the GREATER of $5 million or $1 million above the largest salary of any position player.
2009 season: $27 million plus the greater of $5 million or $1 million above the then largest salary of any position player. ($3 million deferred with 3% interest)
http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/2000/1212/942230.html
This doesn’t kick in until AFTER the 2008 season so…
If ARod does NOT opt-out after this year (2007), he (again) gets $27m for 2008. If after 2008, the Yanks can GUARANTEE he stays by paying him $32m/yr (OUCH), or NOT give him the Raise and let ARod make the decision is he goes or stays.
Frankly, for 2009 and beyond, ARod will be 34 and up. It’s hard to imagine a team offering him much more then $27m/yr.
Also, as long as the current contract is in force, the Yankees are getting an 8-9m/yr ‘discount’ (via Texas).
So it seems impossible that someone can pay ARod much more then his current contract, or more then the Yankees think he’s worth.
Whether he stays or goes will not be based on $$$, but how happy, and accepted he is in NY.
Paul,
How did I misquote you? You wrote:
“This contract is likely the greatest Yankee mistake since…
Steve Trout?”
That’s since 1987, or about 20 years. As an example of a contract in that time frame which is “worse” I give Jason Giambi, an inferior player signed for more money.
Why do you think that having the league’s best 3B at $16M is a horrible deal?
Old Yanks Fan:
I do not think that the Yankees ever have to write Alex a check for $32M, on account of the money that Texas sends along year by year.
Here’s a useful site for contract info… http://www.mlb4u.com/profile.php?id=991
“Texas pays a total of $67M of his salaries from 2004 to 10: $3M in 2004, $6M in both 2005 and 2006, $7.1M in 2007, $8.1M in 2008, $7.1M in 2009 and $6.1M in 2010″